A physician at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North is the first in Tampa to perform a relatively new, innovative option for a hysterectomy.

Dr. Pamela Twitty, OBGYN at The Women’s Group, says she is happy to be the first physician in Tampa to perform a robotic-assisted single site-hysterectomy. Hysterectomies are the second most common surgery performed in America on women and are often used to treat serious conditions such as endometriosis, excessive bleeding or fibroids.

In a traditional hysterectomy, a doctor makes a five- to seven-inch incision, leaving a noticeable scar and resulting in an average of one to two months or recovery time. The new procedure, called the da Vinci robotic-assisted single site surgery, makes a single, one inch incision. The results are less pain and scarring, a shortened hospital stay and quicker return to normal activities.

A unique feature of the robotic assistance is the control provided to the physician. The doctor can control the surgical instruments using a console in the operating room, eliminating the need to coordinate one or more assistants to help with instrumentation.

Robotic-assisted surgery technology has been used for almost 10 years and started with general surgeons for gall bladder surgery. It has become an option for gynecological surgeries within the past two years. What’s innovative about the da Vinci procedure is the single incision, allowing for minimal scarring and a quicker recovery.

"I’ve been a big fan for as long as I’ve been in medicine of staying innovative and using safe and new technologies," says Dr. Twitty. "I’m truly thrilled that it’s an option we can offer now."

The procedure can be used for other gynecological surgeries such as on the fallopian tubes or ovaries. As advancements continue, it could expand to other areas of general medicine.